Planning Ahead for Aged Care
Planning for aged care early is the single best thing a family can do. When you think ahead about care, costs and living options, you get to make calm, informed choices instead of rushed ones in a crisis. A fall, a diagnosis or a call from the hospital has a way of forcing decisions overnight. Planning takes that pressure off.
We work with older people and families who want to understand what aged care might look like in the years ahead, and to prepare for it on their own terms.
What aged care planning involves
Almost every government-funded option starts the same way: with My Aged Care and an assessment. Here is the short version of the path most older people and families follow.
How needs tend to change with age, health or a diagnosis like dementia.
The fees you may face for home care or residential care, and how to prepare (in general terms).
Staying put, downsizing to retirement or assisted living, or moving to residential care later.
Knowing where an Enduring Power of Attorney, an advance care directive and your will fit. Requirements differ between states, and many people have a solicitor prepare these documents.
So everyone understands the wishes before decisions have to be made.
Why planning early pays off
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Planning ahead
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Deciding in a crisis
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Time to compare options and costs
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Pressure to accept the first available place
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Choices reflect the person’s wishes
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Choices made for you, fast
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Finances arranged calmly with an adviser
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Scrambling to fund a RAD (what used to be called a bond)
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Family on the same page
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Stress and disagreement under pressure
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The same decisions, made two very different ways. Planning ahead buys you calm and choice.
When to start
The honest answer is now, long before care is needed. Good moments to start include retirement, a change in a partner’s health, a dementia diagnosis, or simply turning 70 and wanting a plan in the drawer. It’s never too early, and it’s rarely too late.
Timing matters for another reason too. Ongoing Support at Home funding is allocated through a national priority system, so there can be a wait between approval and services starting. Knowing the steps in advance means that wait doesn’t catch you off guard.
You don’t have to have the answers. Most people who plan ahead start with worry, not a spreadsheet. A first conversation is enough to turn a vague fear into a clear list of things to sort, in the right order.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question isn’t here, that’s a good reason to book a free conversation – or just call us.
When should I start planning for aged care?
As early as possible, ideally well before care is needed. Retirement, a health change or a diagnosis are natural prompts. Planning early gives you time to compare options and arrange finances calmly instead of under crisis pressure.
What does aged care planning include?
It covers likely future care needs, the costs to prepare for, living options (home, retirement, assisted or residential), and legal documents such as an Enduring Power of Attorney and an advance care directive. We help you think it through and put a clear plan in place.
How much should I set aside for aged care?
There’s no single figure. It depends on the type of care and your means assessment, which looks at your income and assets. We explain the cost structure in general terms, and the fee estimator on My Aged Care gives a useful starting point. For advice on your own situation, we encourage you to talk with your existing financial adviser. If you don’t have one, we can introduce you to someone suitable, on merit and with no fee in either direction.
Do I need a Power of Attorney for aged care?
It’s wise to have the right documents in place before they’re needed, and they differ by state. In Victoria, an Enduring Power of Attorney can cover financial and personal matters, and you can appoint a medical treatment decision maker. In NSW, an Enduring Power of Attorney covers financial matters and an Enduring Guardian covers health and lifestyle decisions. An advance care directive records your wishes about future care in both states. We can explain why these documents matter and where they fit. For preparing them, we encourage you to use your existing solicitor, or we can introduce you to one.
Can you help me plan even if care isn’t needed yet?
Absolutely, that’s the ideal time. Forward planning is one of the most valuable conversations we have, precisely because there’s no pressure and every option is still open.
Does planning ahead cost anything?
Your first 15-minute conversation with us is free and no-obligation. We’re paid by older people and families, not providers, so any planning guidance stays independent.
Why families choose Aged Care Conversations
Our guidance comes from people who have worked inside the system and still do. Louise Greene is a Registered Nurse with an MBA and more than 40 years in health and aged care across clinical, executive, consulting and board roles, including chairing clinical governance committees. Kerry Mann is a former CEO in aged care and retirement living, holds an MBA, and has board experience including Ageing Australia’s NSW/ACT State Member Council.
How much we do is up to you. Some people want a single conversation to get their bearings. Others want us to manage the whole process, from the assessment through to finding and securing a place in the right home, with regular updates along the way.
We’re independent. Older people and families pay us directly, and we take no commissions from aged care homes, retirement villages or providers. When we help with placement, we’re working for you: homes pay us nothing. Where we introduce a partner, it’s on merit, with no fee in either direction. People come to us in the hardest weeks and leave with a clear plan and a person to call.
Give your family the gift of a plan before it’s needed.
Call us, or book a free conversation. If we’re not the right help for you, we’ll say so – and point you somewhere that is.
Weekly Open Line: Mondays 9.30am – 10.30am